SEC Football Preview: No. 8 Ole Miss Rebels at No. 13 Florida Gators

Thursday, September 24, 2026 | Ben Hill Griffin Stadium | Gainesville, Fla. | TV: TBD

Two unbeaten, ranked SEC teams meet under the Thursday night lights in Gainesville when the No. 8 Ole Miss Rebels (3-0, 1-0 SEC) visit the No. 13 Florida Gators (3-0, 1-0 SEC). Both sides already own a conference win, both bring top-15 rankings into Week 4, and the loser will spend the rest of September chasing the winner in the SEC standings.

Matchup Overview

The stakes are straightforward. A 2-0 start in league play for either team puts it in the early SEC conversation, while a loss on a short week leaves little time to regroup. Ole Miss arrives with the higher ranking and the more productive top-end yardage numbers. Florida counters with home-field advantage at The Swamp and a balanced set of producers who have carried the Gators to a clean 3-0 start.

The Rebels also carry the more recent memory from this series. When these teams last met on November 15, 2025, Ole Miss took a 34-24 decision at home. Florida now gets its turn as host and a chance to flip that result on a national stage.

Keys to the Game

Ole Miss: Keep Trinidad Chambliss rolling. Chambliss leads all players in this game at 308 yards per game, the single largest individual yardage figure on either roster. The Rebels have not needed to lean on one source, either — Austin Simmons adds 211.7 yards per game, and Oscar Bird contributes another 103.7. Three players averaging triple-digit yardage gives Ole Miss multiple ways to move the ball, and the Rebels need all three to stay on schedule against a Florida team that has yet to lose.

Florida: Ride Jadan Baugh and let Aaron Philo distribute. Baugh's 152.7 yards per game is the highest non-Chambliss figure in this matchup, and it gives the Gators a workhorse they can build a game plan around. Philo's 240.3 yards per game is second among all players on the field, and Dallas Wilson chips in 75 yards per game as a third option. For Florida to win, Baugh needs to keep his average near that 152.7 mark and shorten the game, limiting how many possessions Chambliss and the Ole Miss offense get.

Key Matchups

1. Trinidad Chambliss (308 YDS/game) vs. the Florida defense. This is the headliner. Chambliss is out-producing every other player in this game by nearly 70 yards per contest. Florida has held three opponents in check to reach 3-0, but none of them brought a single producer with these numbers. If the Gators can hold Chambliss meaningfully below his 308-yard average, the game tilts toward the home side.

2. Jadan Baugh (152.7 YDS/game) vs. the Ole Miss front. Baugh is Florida's most dependable yardage source and the player most capable of controlling tempo. The Rebels have surrendered just 24 points in the last meeting between these teams and are 3-0 again this year, but Baugh's consistency represents a different kind of stress test. Whether Ole Miss can keep him under 100 yards will shape how long Florida can stay balanced.

3. Aaron Philo (240.3 YDS/game) vs. Austin Simmons (211.7 YDS/game). Both teams have a strong second producer, and the gap between the two is under 30 yards per game. Philo holds the edge in raw output, but Simmons operates alongside the game's top yardage leader. Which secondary producer has the bigger night may decide whether either offense can sustain drives when its primary option is contained.

4. Oscar Bird (103.7 YDS/game) vs. Dallas Wilson (75 YDS/game). The third options tell the story of depth. Bird's 103.7-yard average gives Ole Miss a legitimate third threat, while Wilson's 75 yards per game makes him a complementary piece for Florida. If the Gators' defense sells out to stop Chambliss and Simmons, Bird's production becomes the swing factor. If Ole Miss bottles up Baugh and Philo, Wilson has to exceed his season average.

Players to Watch

Ole Miss: Trinidad Chambliss — 308 YDS/game. No player in this game has produced more, and no player will draw more attention from the opposing defense. Chambliss's ability to stay near his season average on the road, on a short week, against a ranked opponent is the biggest single variable in this matchup.

Florida: Jadan Baugh — 152.7 YDS/game. Baugh gives Florida its clearest path to an upset. If he can push past his season average and keep the Gators ahead of the chains, Florida shortens the game and keeps the ball away from the Rebels' three-headed yardage attack.

Prediction

Ole Miss 31, Florida 27.

Florida's home-field edge and Baugh's reliability make this a genuine toss-up, and Philo's 240.3 yards per game gives the Gators enough balance to stay within a score all night. But Ole Miss simply has more proven production at the top. Chambliss (308), Simmons (211.7), and Bird (103.7) give the Rebels three players averaging more than 100 yards per game; Florida has two in Philo and Baugh. That extra dimension, combined with the Rebels' 34-24 result in the most recent meeting, is enough to lean toward Ole Miss in a close, high-scoring Thursday night game. The margin should be a single possession, and Florida's chances rise sharply if Baugh clears 150 yards and keeps Chambliss watching from the sideline.